


What Means the World

by Jetstream



Series: What's Needed [4]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Etherian Traditions, F/F, Innuendo, No Angst, Post-Canon, Romance, Shipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25061758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jetstream/pseuds/Jetstream
Summary: Sometimes in life, meaning can be hard to find. Sometimes you have to make your own meaning.Time: Approximately 2-2.5 years Post Prime Defeat.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: What's Needed [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778110
Comments: 13
Kudos: 105





	What Means the World

**Author's Note:**

> Now crossposted on [Offprint](https://offprint.net)
> 
> [What Means the World](https://offprint.net/prose/G6mEUlXOq/what-means-the-world)

It was late afternoon and Catra was hunched over her desk, reviewing security reports from the castle guard. She’d just reviewed yet another threat assessment for a future diplomatic summit, when a bright flash illuminated the room behind her. “Hey Sparkles,” she said, nonchalant, “is there a reason the guards are so worried about pets the delegates declar—” She was cut off.

“Catra, it’s here,” Glimmer said softly.

Catra turned slowly, one corner of her mouth turning up in a crooked little smile as she spied a small black box in Glimmer’s hands.

Glimmer was barely containing a maniacal grin. “The courier dropped it off a couple hours ago,” she said, holding a small, rectangular box out. “It took the guards a while to get it to me, and it took me half an hour to make an excuse to get out of my meeting.”

Slowly, Catra reached out and took the box from Glimmer. She flipped it open and bit her lip as she examined the contents.

Glimmer bounced in place. “I didn’t peek!” she said, her voice pitching up. “It nearly killed me but I didn’t… But… Uh…” She clasped her hands in front of herself and gave Catra a pleading look, “Can I see it though? Please? It sounded _so_ pretty when you were working with the jeweler!”

Catra fidgeted as she examined it, eyes misting as she chewed at her lip. Slowly, she turned the box around so Glimmer could see. “It’s _exactly_ what I was going for,” she whispered. “It’s perfect.”

Glimmer’s eyes resembled dinner plates as she emitted a squeal almost too high pitched to be heard. “Catra that’s _amazing_ . She’s gonna love it. Oh gosh!” She looked up at Catra and danced in place. “I wish I could be there when you give it to her but that’d be _so_ wrong! Hey, wait, you don’t suppose Melog could…”

“No chance, Sparkles,” Catra said with a grin, snapping the box closed. “Nobody gets to be there for this. This is just me and her.”

“I’m almost _jealous_ ,” Glimmer squealed. “You _have_ to give it to her. In fact, get lost, Horde Scum!” she declared. “You’ve got the rest of the day off. I don’t wanna see you looking at another report today.” Glimmer smirked, then added, “I’d ask you to give me details later, but I’m betting none of us are gonna see _either_ of you again today.”

Catra rolled her eyes, but a bright blush put the lie to it. “Like it matters right now, Sparkles. Adora’s just as busy as any of us, I won’t see her for—”

“Shut it!” Glimmer commanded, “I’m the queen, I make the rules around here. Suddenly it’s a holiday! Everybody gets the rest of the day off! For reasons! That I will invent eventually!”

“That seems like an abuse of power, Your Glittery Majesty.”

“Pfft. Pfffffft,” Glimmer replied with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “That’s not an abuse of power. _This_ is an abuse of power.” She snapped her fingers and an ornate envelope appeared in her hand. “Dad and I have been working on my object enchantments. Put a piece of paper in here and seal it and it’ll come _right_ to me.” Glimmer slapped the envelope down on the desk. “Put a dinner order in it later. I’ll get the kitchens to make it and then I’ll teleport it to your room without needing to be there. Just make sure the desk’s clear.”

“Glimmer,” Catra drawled, snickering, “this is a strategic asset. You’re giving me a strategic message delivery device that you and your father have been developing so Adora and I don’t have to leave our room for a night?”

“What the hell good is power if you can’t abuse it once in a while to help your friends!?” Glimmer blinked behind the desk and hauled Catra out of her chair, shoving the envelope into her hands. “Now go on! Get! I’ll alert the staff of the holiday _starting_ with whatever guard class is in the room with Adora!” She shoved Catra toward the door.

“Alright, alright, I’m going!” Catra laughed and walked out of the office, hearing Glimmer pop out as she shut the door behind herself.

As she made her way back to the room she and Adora shared, Catra continued to fidget with the box, her expression shifting between excitement and nerves. She held it close to her heart and ran her fingers over the gold wing pin that she hadn’t failed to wear a single day since Adora gave it to her. 

Running through some of her old breathing exercises, she let herself into their room, refusing to allow herself to spiral around the thought of bombing this and set the box down on the vanity. She grabbed a brush and started working on her shaggy mane, just to give her hands something to do. 

She had just finished tying her hair up in that messy ponytail Adora was so weirdly fond of when the door opened, admitting the object of her jittery affection.

“Oookay,” Adora said with a roll of her eyes, “that was weird.” She closed the door and folded her arms across her chest, cocking her head toward Catra. “Do _you_ know what’s up with Glimmer, kitten? She was acting really strange.”

Catra shrugged, feigning nonchalance “Dunno. Depends on what she was doing, I guess?”

Adora’s eyes roamed over Catra, a vaguely hungry look appearing in her eyes for a second as she saw the ponytail and licked her lips. Calm won out, and Adora shook her head, saying, “I don’t even know, really? She just showed up, told everybody we had the rest of the day off ‘for reasons,’ direct quote, and then almost shoved me out the door.” 

Adora frowned, “I think she might’ve actually said ‘go to your room, young lady.’ She even had the _accent_ for a second, she sounded so much like…” Adora coughed, then trailed off, “anyway, yeah..”

Pointedly ignoring the last part, Catra snickered, “Oh yeah, I think I remember something like that. She seemed to think that maybe the two of us’d really like a night in.” Holding up the envelope, Catra smirked, continuing, “She was oddly insistent.”

Eyes widening, Adora snorted, then bit back a laugh. “Oh gosh, Catra, is that one of those magic message envelopes she and Micah have been working on? That seems excessive.”

“Yuuup,” Catra drawled, “I think we might’ve been commanded to a date night. Apparently we get a sparkly express delivery for supper tonight.”

“Well!” Adora exclaimed, shrugging expansively. “If Her Majesty insists,” she laughed, “what place have we peasants to object?”

“Heh, yeah,” Catra murmured, looking down at her pin. Running her fingers along it again, she said, “Actually, um, ‘Dora?” She picked up the box before her nerves ran out again. “I actually _do_ know why she did that. Glimmer _might_ be aware that I’ve got somethin’ to give you.” Holding it in both hands, she turned to Adora, holding it up, a crooked grin breaking across her face.

Adora blinked as she noticed the thing, rectangular, covered with black velvet. “Oh. Oh! Is that…?” Her eyes widened and she licked her lips nervously, “Oh, Catra, that looks _really_ fancy. You didn’t have to—” A cocked eyebrow from Catra cut her off.

“What’s that you’re always tellin’ me?” She asked. “Oh, right. ‘That’s not _your_ call, dummy.’” Her grin inched its way toward smug. “I know I don’t _have_ to. I want to.” Holding it up, she walked over and held it out for Adora. “Go on.”

Hand shaking almost imperceptibly, Adora cradled the gift in one hand and teased it open with the other. A sharp breath caught Catra’s heart and skipped a beat as Adora withdrew a small necklace made delicate silvery-white metal plates strung together tightly. In its center were set two gems — one yellow, one blue. 

“O-oh _Catra_ , this is… Where did you even find…?” She looked to Catra, eyes wide and unblinking.

Catra scuffed a foot against the rug, scratching the back of her neck. “Ah, yeah. Heh. Sparkles actually chauffeured me around half of Etheria looking for something perfect? At the last place we went, uh, I guess the woman working got sick of my nonsense? She said she and her father _made_ most of the jewelry they sold, so...” She bit her lip, stammering, “I-I-I maybe commissioned them to make it?”

Adora gave her a dead-flat stare for all of half a second before she rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the necklace. She turned it in different directions to see the light catch it. “This doesn’t look like silver,” she whispered, “and it’s definitely not gold. What’s it made of?” 

“Haha, yeah, um, I was surprised. It’s actually _platinum_. I didn’t even know they made jewelry out of that.” Catra rambled, sounding more nervous by the second, “I always just knew Entrapta liked using it for engines and stuff, but, like, they showed me some of their other work and…” 

Adora looked up from her fascinated study of the necklace and its articulation, craftsmanship, and beauty.

Catra leaned back, staring somewhere between the look on Adora’s face and forever “It’s actually really pretty,” she said softly. “You can keep it polished like it is now, but if you don’t… In a few years it starts to look amazing, like the really good heirloom stuff Glimmer brings out for special functions. The stuff that’s been in her family for centuries.”

Adora sat in front of the vanity, still cradling the necklace in both hands and held it up to her neck for a moment, looking in the mirror, then turned her head to Catra. Biting her lip she said, in a small voice, “Help me put it on?”

Crouching down behind Adora, Catra brushed her hands as she took the ends of the necklace, moving Adora’s ponytail out of the way to clasp it at the back of her neck. The necklace fit snugly, with the pendant resting against the hollow at the base of Adora’s throat. Catra put her hands on Adora’s shoulders, and leaned in to put their heads next to each other.

“They said it was technically a choker,” Catra whispered, chuckling, “I thought the name was creepy but they _promised_ it wasn’t really gonna choke you. It’s not too tight, is it?”

Adora shook her head, seeming unable to speak.

“When you asked me to marry you… when you gave me your pin,” Catra kept whispering, “you told me what it meant to you. Freedom. A new life. You said you wanted to give that to me…” Catra rested her chin against Adora’s shoulder. “I… never had anything like that. Nearly everything good in my life came from you.” 

Bringing her fingers to the pendant, she touched the yellow and blue gems for a moment, then made eye contact with Adora in the mirror. Yellow and blue met blue-gray. “So the only thing I can share with you, the only thing I have to give… Is myself.”

Adora reached up to grasp Catra’s hand in hers, squeezing it tightly as tears ran down her cheeks. Turning to face Catra, she reached up with her other hand and turned Catra’s head to kiss her fiercely. Neither of them knew how long had passed before they came up for air.

Breathing hard, Catra smiled and rested her forehead against Adora’s. “So… I did okay?”

Laughing and sniffling at the same time, Adora choked out, “Better than okay. It’s perfect. I can’t even _imagine_ what better would look like. I love it. I love _you_ . I’m gonna wear this _everywhere_ so everyone knows it.”

Joining Adora in the sniffling, Catra chuckled, “You admitted it, you like me.” Kissing her softly again, Catra sighed, “I love you, too.”

Turning back to the mirror, Adora’s eyes shifted between Catra and her new pendant. Her soft smile morphed into a smirk, and she reached for the back of her neck, undoing the clasp and setting the necklace down on the vanity desk. 

Catra blinked in confusion, opening her mouth to speak, but she was preempted by Adora getting to her feet, twisting at the waist, and snatching the pin off her top. “Adora…?” Catra questioned.

Adora set the pin reverently next to her choker, then spun around and pulled Catra flush against herself, bringing their lips crashing back together. As they groaned into each other, Adora’s hand snaked up and yanked Catra’s hair tie out, flinging it aside. In seconds, her fingers were tangled up in Catra’s hair as she slowly pushed toward their bed.

Pulling away for a moment, Catra gasped for air, cheeks flushed. “N-not interested in getting supper right away, huh?” she asked with a wobbly smirk.

“Catra,” Adora replied, punctuating every word with a kiss to Catra’s neck. “Kitten. Darling. Lover.” She leaned back, meeting Catra’s eyes and giving her a smoldering look. “ _Food can wait_.”

Catra’s face flushed beet red as she gulped, the backs of her legs hitting their bed frame. “Oh. Wow. Damn.” She let out a high pitched giggle, “This is hot and all, but I think my fiance might get jealous.”

“Oh. Hah. Hah. You’re mouthy,” Adora snarked as she shoved Catra back onto the bed. Looking down at Catra, Adora’s smirk turned almost predatory. “ ** _Good_**.”

* * * * *

By the time Glimmer received the magical dinner order, it was quite a lot later than she’d assumed.

**Author's Note:**

> [Noble Thought](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noble_Thought/) is responsible for making this story suck a lot less than it otherwise would have. She, in fact, rewrote enough of my descriptions that I'm half tempted to give her a co-creator credit. 
> 
> But in lieu of that I'm simply going to admonish this fanbase for not reading more of her shit. She's way better at this than me and you should all be ashamed of yourselves. Yes, especially **_you._** You know who you are.
> 
> As for the necklace, in case I didn't describe it well enough, it's what's called an "Omega Chain." I also describe it as a choker. While most chokers tend to be a band or chain that hugs the throat fairly tightly, I have found that some things that are slightly less snug than that can also be considered chokers. Anyway, for a visual reference:
> 
> [Omega chain with pendant](https://imgur.com/a/jYV4tAe)
> 
> Picture that, but platinum, and with two gem settings. And neither of the gems is that ludicrously huge. Jesus, isn't that gem just goofy huge?


End file.
